WESTMINSTER, MD - Franklin & Marshall College center Lauren Dodrill (Sr., Timonium, MD/Roland Park) finished with 18 points and 19 rebounds for her Centennial Conference leading 15th double-double of the season, but McDaniel defeated the Diplomats 79-63 in Centennial Conference women's basketball action.
Trailing 33-29 at halftime, the Diplomats held the Green Terror without a basket until the 16:37 mark as Jacqueline Pundt hit a jumper for a 35-29 lead. The basket ignited a 12-2 run by McDaniel as the Terror pushed the margin to 45-31 with 14:07 left to play.
The Green Terror led by as many as 24 points at 60-36 with 9:07 on the clock as the Diplomats chipped away at the lead for the 79-63 final score.
The two teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the second half before McDaniel used a 9-2 run to take a 13-6 lead with 14:54 left in the half.
Franklin & Marshall tied the game at 17-17 and 26-26 before taking a 29-28 lead with 1:46 left until the break.
However, Pundt hit lay-ups at 1:36 and 1:05 before Theresa Hess added a free throw at :22 for the 33-29 lead at halftime.
For Franklin & Marshall, point guard Dana Johns (Jr., York, PA/Eastern York) added 11 points with three assists, forward Emily Weaver (So., Prince Frederick, MD/Calverton) chipped in 13 points and six rebounds and guard Kim Rawson (Sr., Woodstock, NH/Plymouth) tallied 10 points as four Diplomats reached double-digits in the game.
Kelly Cramp led McDaniel with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Pundt added 10 points and seven boards, as 12 different Green Terror scored a basket.
The loss does not impact the Diplomats' playoff hopes as Franklin & Marshall fell to 10-13, 8-8 in the Centennial Conference to remain one game back of Gettysburg (12-11, 9-7 CC) for the fifth and final playoff spot as the Bullets fell 70-52 at Johns Hopkins University.
The Diplomats will face a tough road to the playoffs as the team will host Washington on February 19 and square-off with #3 seed Johns Hopkins in Mayser on February 22, while Gettysburg will host #4 seed Swarthmore and #1 seed Dickinson on February 19 and 22, respectively.
If Gettysburg wins a game, the Diplomats will be eliminated from the playoffs. However, if the Bullets and Diplomats conclude the season, Franklin & Marshall will advance to the playoffs based on record versus opponents' in descending order of standings as the Diplomats swept the season series from Swarthmore, while Gettysburg fell 63-51 at Swarthmore on January 15.
In the only meeting between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall this season, the Bullets defeated the Diplomats 71-58 in Gettysburg. However, per Centennial Conference rules for tiebreakers, the game cannot be considered as the visiting Diplomats lost. If the game had been played in Lancaster, and the Bullets were victorious, Gettysburg would advance to the playoffs as the rule gives an edge to the road team if tied teams play just once.
Franklin & Marshall (10-13, 8-8 Centennial Conference) will return to action on February 19 at home versus Washington College. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
